Social and Biological Factors in Infant

'The present inquiry, which is an epidemiological exercise in the vital statistics of infant mortality, uses the documents of birth and death registration of England and Wales, and for the first time brings them together. Information about the mother's age, the number of her children, the duration of her marriage before the birth, and whether the birth was single or multiple, is obtained at birth registration (but not for the public record); while other data, such as the age of the infant, and the cause of death, are obtained when the death is registered. Information on the social circumstances surrounding the birth or death, such as the father's occupation, the community in which the family lived, and the infant's legitimacy is also available. All this material will be brought together for the two years 1949-50, and for the whole of England and Wales. Since similar information for stillbirths was easily available at the same time they are also included in the inquiry. In addition, mortality in the second year of life of children born in 1949 is being studied.'